Maytag MDB9750Aw Dishwasher won't wash after my son used liquid dawn detergent in machine. Dishwasher fills, and drains, but doesn't proceed thru the wash cycle, and the detergent door does not open.

Keep running cycles without detergent until it’s clear, then use correct type and amount of dishwashing liquid.

Tip: Prevent a Smelly Washer With Powdered Dishwasher Detergent

I have a great tip for making a smelly clothes washer smell fresh and clean, given to me by a Maytag repairman. Simply run dishwasher detergent powder, not liquid, through your machine with no clothing in it, about once or twice a month.
It works and it is cheaper than the specialized products that do the same thing. Use the same amount you would use of laundry detergent for your particular machine.

Just pour the liquid/powder into the wash tub prior to loading clothes... this machine does not have a detergent dispenser...

If your dishes or glassware appear filmy or spotted following a complete wash cycle, adjusting the amount or type of detergent you’re using and adjusting your hot water heater’s water temperature may solve the problem. But before you do either of these, put a rinse additive (such as Jet-Dry) in the rinse dispenser to improve the sheeting action of the water.

Next, you’ll have to determine whether the film is removable or permanently etched. To do this, soak a glass in undiluted white vinegar for about 15 minutes. Or, wash the glass with warm water and concentrated dishwasher detergent or a high-phosphate detergent (such as Glass Magic).

If the film comes off, it is probably caused by hard water minerals, improper amounts of detergent, or unsuitable water temperature.

Permanent etching is often caused by a combination of soft water and excessive heat or detergent. If glassware is permanently etched, there isn’t anything you can do to make it clear again. But you can avoid future etching by taking these steps:

1) Be sure hot water entering the dishwasher is no hotter than 140 degrees F. Don’t use extra-hot settings such as “Power Scrub,” and use the “Energy Saver” dry cycle.

2) Adjust the detergent amount.

3) Don’t pre-rinse your dishes before loading them in the dishwasher. Food particles on the dishes actually help the detergent and drying agents clean better.

A common cause of poor washing results is improper loading—dishes that block or impede the spray arm(s) or prevent the soap dispenser from opening. On the other hand, if your dishwasher has chronic problems with good washing, the problem may not be your dishwasher. A good first step is vary the amount of dishwasher detergent you're using and try switching brands.

Other possibilities: Your home’s water pressure may be too low, your water may be too hard, or the water temperature may not be hot enough.

In order for your dishwasher to fill to the appropriate level, water pressure should be from 20–120 pounds per square inch. If you suspect that your water pressure may be low, turn off all faucets or other users of water (such as washing machines and sprinklers) and then put a half-gallon jug under the kitchen faucet. Turn on the hot water full-blast. If the jug doesn’t fill within 14 seconds, your water pressure may be too low for proper dishwasher operation. Call your city water utility to discuss your options, or avoid drawing water elsewhere in the house or yard during dishwasher cycles.

The right amount of detergent to use depends on how large your load of dishes is and how hard your water is. Hardness is measured in grains of minerals—the more grains per gallon you have, the more detergent you’ll need. If your water has 12 grains or more of hardness, fill both dishwasher soap cups completely with detergent. If that doesn’t work, consider installing a water softener. (For more information, see the article Water Softener Systems.

To check water temperature, hold a meat thermometer under the hot water faucet for two minutes; if it doesn’t register a minimum of 140 degrees F., turn up the temperature dial on your hot water heater. (However, if you have a newer dishwasher that heats the water internally, it isn’t necessary to turn up your hot water heater.)

If your dishwasher has worked fine in the past but suddenly your dishes aren’t clean after the dishwasher completes all cycles, listen to the spray arm(s) spinning inside during the wash cycle. If spinning poorly, wait for the machine to cool down, remove the spray arm(s) by unscrewing the hubcap(s), lifting the arm(s) off, and then cleaning out the spray holes in the spray arm(s) with a stiff piece of wire.

are you using regular dish-washing detergent....not liquid dish detergent like dawn....dawn and the like suds up tremendously....regular detergent is manufactured so it will not suds up.

does it drain completely? sometimes a blocked drain will keep enough soapy water in the basin that when the rinse cycle comes on it essentially throws soapy water back on the clean dishes.

hope this helps

I did the same thing with my Maytag dishwasher, several times actually, before realizing I was putting blue dish soap in the rinse aid compartment which then wouldn't empty. Then my Maytag started making ominous noises during the rinse cycle (appliance guy said it was "cavitation" noise).

Appliance guy wanted to replace the whole detergent/rinse aid compartment but since he told me the noise was probably caused by the dish soap stuck in the rinse aid compartment, I decided to try to get rid of it first. Here is the method that worked for me; it took most of a day but saved me parts & labor:

1. Get some white vinegar--I used nearly a quart.
2. Fill the rinse aid compartment to brim with the vinegar (overfill) but don't put cap on
3. Raise the dishwasher door slowly until the vinegar drains into the lower part of the chamber (at least this is how my Maytag worked)
4. Agitate the contents as best you can by rapidly shaking the dishwasher door up & down.
5. I also used a small plastic medicine dropper jammed into small openings on each side of the rinse aid compartment to agitate the vinegar by squeezing air into them.
6. Drain the compartment by closing the dishwasher door (move it to full vertical)--vinegar will drain into the bottom of the dishwasher.
7. Repeat above steps a couple times, then fill again w/vinegar, put the cap on and let it stand for awhile. Then drain and repeat the whole routine several times.
8. Blue-colored vinegar will come out which is a good sign (or whatever color your dish soap was).
9. After awhile, I started pouring generous amts of very hot tap water thru the rinse aid compartment, alternating with white vinegar. (No reason you can't use hot vinegar also.)
10. Eventually, all the blue stuff came out & the see-thru levels of the rinse aid compartment were completely clear/empty.
11. Run the dishwasher (I decided to not put any rinse aid in). I got some overfoaming (from the washed out soap) the first time I ran it which I probably could have remedied by adding more vinegar & possibly salt, but the noises were gone!
I just ran the cleaned out dishwasher a 2nd time & it was back to its quiet self with no overfoaming.

Takes some patience but hey, beats a big repair bill!!

Is your dishwasher filling and draining? The detergent should mix, completely with the wash water and there should be no residue of just detergent. Make certain that the machine is filling and draining properly, otherwise, call the repairman.

Check that both spray bars are turning. They can both be easily removed.

Once removed, make sure they are not clogged with stuff to prevent them from turning.

I assume you can hear water spraying around inside when it's washing, and that the dishes do get wet, and water does get hot.

Soap dispenser requires water hitting on it to open.

It will not hurt the DW, just make ALOT of suds. Get some defoamer used for spa tubs. Use a little at a time, fill, let it wash for 10 seconds then drain. Repeat if necessary until sudsing is gone.

Try what my wife does. She uses the individually contained detergent/rinse bubble packs (tab packs). No messy granular detergent and easy to simply place inside the silverware basket. Your dishes should wash spotless, like ours. ZT3000 "Beta tester of "0"s and "1's"